Poop.
I'm a girl. We don't do this. We just don't. Why would we? That's gross. Something saved for the boys. Our food waste does not pass through our large intestine and get dumped into the porcelain throne. Our food is swallowed, digested, and turns into pee...amazing rose smelling pee. We also do not make sounds while using the "ladies room". Ask any woman who has used a bathroom at the apartment of a guy that she has just started dating. She can make that the quietest pee session in the world. You wont hear a drop. No guys...she isn't fixing her hair, she really is pissing in there. We just don't make it sound like a waterfall. Woman can turn that off if we need to. So naturally, with all the fuss about pee sounds...you can see why we don't poop. That would just be too messy to deal with.
This pretty much sums up how I feel about poop. Its not something I discuss. I was always quiet as a mouse when using the bathroom..as any lady would do. I got nervous when my midwife asked me how my bowel movements were after giving birth to my daughter. I can have a room full of people watch a baby wiggle her way out of my vagina. My own mother watched as my placenta was caught in a bowl. But poop? nope. lets not go there.
So its only fitting, and ironic that I get diagnosed with Crohns disease. Its not the diagnoses that is embarrassing, its the symptoms. It's what happens to your body that leads you to the doctors office asking the questions, "why does my stomach feel like someone is constantly punching me, and WHY is my husband able to hear me shitting out EVERY meal!". Gross, but true.
I am 6ft, 9 months postpartum, and I was down to 126 lbs. I made every excuse I could. "It's because im breastfeeding", "Im so busy with the kids that I never get a chance to eat", "the cat ate it".
Crohns Disease is a disorder that causes inflammation in the digestive tract. This swelling causes pain and the intestines to empty frequently (just a nicer way of saying my stomach hurts and I poo alot). The best way I have described it is that my body decided to have its own eating disorder without consulting me. If you want more information check out the CCFA's website http://www.ccfa.org/. It's got "loads" of information (poop joke completely intended)
My side effects from all this is constant stomach pain (as mentioned), nutritional deficiencies, and joint pain. Usually after a large meal such as lunch or dinner I would be in constant pain, or using the bathroom frequently. After a few months of this, the weight loss and fatigue become apparent.
So now we know what it is. But what do I do about it?
I wont take this shit lying down (lol...cmon, I had to). I knew that prescription meds would not be an option, unless it got worse. I wanted to treat this holistically. A mind, body soul approach.
This blog is a way for me to journal my journey through my treatments, my tests, the ups and the downs. I also hope is a great resource for my readers to learn about natural and holistic topics, gather a few healthy recipes.
I promise no more poop jokes. But if you feel so inclined, "drop" your best poop joke in the comment section.
So come along with me. It's mornings filled with juicing, afternoons with a buffet of natural supplements, and evenings spent in my kitchen whipping up a yummy vegetarian tummy happy meal for my whole family.
